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In this video recording, Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou recounts what St. Iakovos (Tsalikis) of Evia (+1991) told him about how heaven looks like. This is an inspiring conversation of St. Iakovos with St. Seraphim of Sarov near the Heaven’s gate.
Video source: RumOrthodox
Holy Hesychasterion of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, Cyprus, January 2, 2021
Metropolitan Neophytos:
Saint Iakovos Tsalikis told us: “I was reading [the verse where it says]:
“In My Father’s house are many mansions” [John 14:2] and I could not understand it. And I wonder “My Christ, how can there be many monasteries in heaven and many mansions?”
And right away, my nous “was grabbed” and I found myself in front of the Gate of Heaven. One large garden.
“And who was at the Gate waiting for Saint Iakovos of Evia?”
“St. Seraphim of Sarov!”
And tells him:
“Come, father Iakovos! Since you asked it, the Lord of Heaven and Earth sent me to show you the Heavenly Mansions.”
“And [I found myself] in an infinite meadow, full of an open-blue and white colored light! This light was full of information and whatever you desired, you heard it inside your heart as an eternal knowledge.”
“And there was an infinite meadow, full of daisies and nice, big violets! And St. Seraphim starts walking but there was no path so he was stepping on these heavenly flowers. I was not walking.
He waves at me. “Come father Iakovos!” “I am not coming!” “Why won’t you come. You asked for it!” “To step on these beautiful flowers and break them…?”
“Are you listening to what a kind and sensitive man was elder Iakovos?”
“Come my father” replies the Russian Saint [Saint Seraphim].
“These flowers are not like the ones you have on earth. They are also “eternal”. They don’t break. Look at the ones I stepped onto.”
Every time he stepped over them, they would stand up immediately. None would break.
“So I took the courage and started walking and I saw [the place where] the martyrs are, where the righteous are, where the hierarchs are, where the priests are, where the chanters are, where all the ranks of men are… of the righteous men… all of them inside the light!”
We live not only for the earth, but for the Heaven as well.
When the Heaven commands something different than the earth, we prefer the Heavenly.
When you listen to what expect us [there], you must be a fool not [to prefer them].
